The present invention relates generally to devices for installing animal guards on utility transformers and the like, and, more particularly, to the improvements in devices for the installation of Guthrie type animal guard devices on elevated transformers from ground level.
1. Field of the Invention
While there is a general trend towards installation of new utility lines underground, there is an enormous number of utility lines and associated transformers which remain above ground and at heights anywhere from 10 feet and higher. It is common for small animals such as squirrels and others of the rodent family, to climb utility poles or descend from tree limbs onto utility wires and to scurry along them. So long as they do not touch more than one wire, or otherwise touch something that is grounded while on a hot wire, no problem is contemplated. However, should they touch two wires or somehow become grounded, the chances of their immediate demise is greatly enhanced.
One area in the utility system where there is eminent danger to transgressing animals is in the immediate proximity of transformers where utility wires enter and leave the transformer, which either steps up or steps down the voltage. Should an animal become electrocuted in that immediate area, there is the prospect of damage to the transformer and related transmission lines, all of which have the potential to interrupt service and to increase maintenance. For this reason, it is extremely desirable to make sure, to the extent possible, that a curious animal does not get crosswise with utility lines.
2. Overview of the Prior Art
There has been, and continues to be, several efforts to ameliorate this problem, one of the most successful of which is the Guthrie guard, manufactured by Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing. It is a device which attaches to an insulator which is disposed about a utility line entering or exiting a transformer and provides a spider like device comprising a series of outwardly extending legs which make it somewhere between difficult and impossible for a small animal to get through, thus protecting it from itself.
Since transformers disposed above the earth""s surface are typically more than 10 feet above ground, the manual installation or placement of a Guthrie type guard becomes a chore. One may climb the pole and try and the guard by hand, but to do so would interrupt service and that is not a very practical solution. Moreover, stringent OSHA regulations, sometimes referred to as the two man rule, make such an effort impractical. The use of man lifts and cherry pickers would result in an inordinate equipment expense and is, similarly, impractical.
There have been alternative efforts to place the Guthrie guards on transformer insulators from ground level with what is known in the trade as shot gun sticks. However, because of the nature of the apparatus which grasps the guard in a manner which causes the guard to project outwardly from the end of the stick coaxially therewith, it becomes exceedingly difficult, if not almost impossible to effectively position the guard from ground level.
The patent to Anderson, U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,495 suggests an alternative to the shot gun stick, sometimes referred to as an xe2x80x9cextendoxe2x80x9d stick. The Anderson concept involves engaging loops formed in the wire which joins the two halves of the Guthrie type guard by means of a group of upstanding prongs. In this manner, the guard can be positioned relative to the stick at an acute angle in order that it can be positioned on the transformer insulator with relative ease from ground level. However, this method has been found to be less than entirely satisfactory in that disengagement with the installed guard is not always successful and displacement of the guard is possible.
An alternative to the Guthrie type guard is found in the patent to Urnovitz, U.S. Pat. No. 5,650,594, wherein a flat plate serves as a guard, and a highly specialized tool is used to position the plate. Since the Guthrie type guard has become somewhat of an industry standard, however, the focus of the present invention is on the facile handling of such guards.
With the foregoing environment in mind, the present invention provides a safe, economical and simple method of installing and, where necessary, removal, of Guthrie type animal guards on insulators attached to transformers wherein the guard itself is grasped by jaws biased towards one another such that the guard can be readily positioned from the ground and to the extent necessary, removed in the same manner in an exceptionally safe and easy manner.
Another objective of the present invention is to permit one man, at ground level, to quickly and accurately install a Guthrie type guard on the insulator of a transformer using the implement of the present invention. A related objective of the present invention is to permit installation of a Guthrie type guard from ground level with simple manipulation of an extendo type pole, or stick.
A still further objective of the present invention is to provide an implement which not only engages a Guthrie type guard, but secures it in the appliance in a fixed position so as to maintain excellent control over the guide in order to facilitate its mounting in the desired position.
The foregoing, as well as other objectives and advantages of the present invention, will become apparent from a reading of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein: